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Fantasy Spin: 2013 NHL Trade Deadline updates

by
NHL.com Fantasy Hockey Staff
/ NHL.com

With the fantasy hockey playoffs in full swing, the 2013 NHL Trade Deadline comes at a crucial juncture of the season for owners around the world. As major deals are made, NHL.com's team of fantasy insiders has you covered with rapid-fire updates to guide you in the right direction.

FANTASY SPIN: It's the end of an era as Sabres captain Jason Pominville has been shipped to the Wild, but the move offers a refreshing opportunity for the 30-year-old. Pominville, who spent his entire career in Buffalo, joins a deep arsenal of right wings in Minnesota that includes Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi. He will have a chance to earn top-line minutes with Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu and power-play time for a team vying for first place in the Northwest Division. It remains to be seen how coach Mike Yeo will incorporate him, considering Setoguchi has thrived alongside Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Matt Cullen of late, but Pominville's savvy from both a goal-scoring and distributing standpoint should make things easier for the players around him. Though his power-play numbers were down for the struggling Sabres, this two-time 70-plus point scorer could benefit largely from a change in scenery. -- Pete Jensen

FANTASY SPIN: Here we go. A big trade comes down on deadline day, like it always does. Gaborik will now lace his skates up for the Blue Jackets, where he could thrive. Gaborik is a three-time 40-goal scorer, seven-time 30-goal scorer, and he's still just 31 years old. Sure, he's having a rough season (9 G, 10 A, minus-8, 8 PIMs, 7 PPP, 113 SOG), but there's no denying he's one of the League's premier goal-scorers and could easily bounce back and score 35-plus goals next season in Columbus. A change of scenery could be exactly what Gaborik needed as he had clearly been butting heads with John Tortorella throughout this season. If you've stuck beside Gaborik through his struggles, you could be rewarded during the final three-plus weeks. -- Matt Cubeta

FANTASY SPIN: The Lightning, who finished last in goals against last season (3.39 GAA) and rank 21st this year (2.97 GAA), have acquired Ben Bishop from Ottawa. With Anders Lindback out indefinitely, the 26-year-old Bishop immediately becomes the go-to guy for the Lightning ahead of their final 13 games. The 6-foot-7 netminder has filled in nicely this season for the Senators with an 8-5 record, a 2.45 goals-against average and .922 save percentage. Another great stat to keep in mind regarding Bishop is his perfect 4-0 record in shootouts. He's surrendered only three goals against in 19 shots faced in such situations.

On the flip side, if you're an owner of Craig Anderson, there's even better news. Sportsnet's Ian Mendes is reporting that Anderson is healthy and ready to play now -- per general manager Bryan Murray. Anderson still is listed as the League leader in both goals-against (1.49) and save percentage (.952), and now, with Bishop out of the picture, he can return as the No. 1 goalie for the stretch run. This move also affects Robin Lehner, who has played the goalie carousel with Bishop since Anderson's injury. The 21-year-old can now settle into his role as an NHL goaltender and is a nice option to have just in case Anderson re-injures himself or is not as effective coming off the ankle injury that has kept him sidelined since Feb. 21. -- Matt Sitkoff

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FANTASY SPIN: Conacher was arguably the hottest pick-up in fantasy hockey in the early parts of the 2012-13 season, and deservedly so. He notched five goals and seven assists in his first seven NHL games while skating either with Steven Stamkos or Martin St. Louis most of the time. However, since that torrid start, Conacher has registered just four goals and eight helpers in the following 28 games while being used mostly as a third-line player for the Lightning. Moving to Ottawa will make him the team's leading scorer with 24 points (Sergei Gonchar and Kyle Turris each have 22) and you can expect him to receive top-six forward minutes for a team in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. -- Matt Cubeta

FANTASY SPIN: With center and left wing eligibility, Jokinen could make for an intriguing pick-up for the stretch run. He had six goals, five assists, 18 penalty minutes, three power-play points and 61 shots on goal in 33 games for the Hurricanes. Not exactly a great stat line. However, Jokinen's minus-8 rating should improve playing for a powerhouse Penguins team, and if he receives some second line playing time, Jokinen has the potential to chip in points here and there. Jokinen recorded 30 goals and 65 points in 2009-10 and then followed up that breakout season with 52 and 46 points over the following two seasons, respectively. He's been a disappointment for fantasy owners in 2012-13, but if you're in a deep league, there's reason to believe Jokinen could carry some value while a member of the Penguins. -- Matt Cubeta

FANTASY SPIN: Clowe hasn't scored a goal in 28 games this season and is joining a Rangers team that ranks last in the NHL in goals-per-game (2.26). So where's the fantasy upside? A change of scenery could be huge for the gritty forward, who is a top-notch PIMs producer (79, 10th in NHL) and has been a 50-plus point, 100-plus PIMs player in the past. If you're in a shallow league and could use a PIMs boost for the playoffs, look no further than dual-eligible Clowe, who could fill a void in New York left last offseason with the departure of Brandon Prust. -- Pete Jensen

FANTASY SPIN: Injuries to Ryan Kesler and David Booth had Vancouver depleted at center, but the acquisition of Roy seems to be a more than adequate reinforcement at the position. Roy, who has dealt with injuries at points this season, brings experience and point production (22 in 30 games) to the table. He has two point streaks of four or more games this season, including a recent stretch of six points in four games, and could be a timely add for fantasy owners in need of offensive help on the waiver wire. -- Pete Jensen

FANTASY SPIN: Jagr ranks 18th on the all-time list with 195 power-play goals (six this season for the Dallas Stars), indicating that he can be a great fit with the Boston Bruins -- who rank 24th League-wide in power-play percentage. The 41-year-old has stood the test of time and could see time right off the bat with fellow Czech product David Krejci on the top line of one of the premier clubs in the Eastern Conference. -- Pete Jensen